A NATIONAL TREND IS HITTING TOO CLOSE TO HOME FOR AN OKLAHOMA FAMILY. PARENTS, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE BENADRYL CHALLENGE? IT’S SPREADING ONLINE FOR KIDS. OFFICIALS SAY KIDS ARE TAKING OVER THE RECOMMENDED DOSE OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE. IT NOW HAS THE ATTENTION OF THE FDA AND IT IS CAUSING HEARTBREAK FOR A DAD IN ENID. AND WE SPOKE TO HIS FATHER, FATHER OF A 15 YEAR OLD. HE SAYS HIS DAUGHTER WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF THIS CHALLENGE. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF MY DAUGHTER’S FRIENDS THAT HER AND MY DAUGHTER HAVE BOTH BEEN. DOING THIS CHALLENGE. MY DAUGHTER IS NOW IN ICU. SHE’S BEEN HERE FOR FIVE DAYS. IT’S HEARTBREAKING, YOU KNOW, TO WATCH YOUR LOVED ONE GO THROUGH THIS. SHE WAS PERFECTLY FINE. SHE’S TRIED THIS AND SHE’S LAYING LIFELESS. SHE’S SADLY LOST ALL OF HER BRAIN FUNCTIONS AND THE ONLY THING HELPING HER RIGHT NOW IS THE VENTILATOR. ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS CHILDREN, I JUST HIGHLY ADVISE THEM TO WATCH OUT. YOU KNOW, FOR NEW TRAINING CHALLENGES AND. YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR SIGNS OF IT. LOOK THEM UP, SEE WHAT THEY MEAN. IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SPOKE SOONER AND MADE US AWARE, THIS COULD HAVE SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES FOR OTHER CHILDREN. AT LEAST MY DAUGHTER’S LIFE. I WANT TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE AWARE. WE’RE ACCEPTING ALL PRAYERS RIGHT NOW. ALL WE’RE LEFT WITH IS HOPES AND PRAYERS. AFTER THIS. AND I REFUSE TO GIVE UP FOR MY DAUGHTER. YOU KNOW? AND WE REALLY JUST NEED LOTS OF PRAYERS. PRAYERS FOR A MIRACLE FOR HER. AGAIN, JUST 15 YEARS OLD, WE THINK THIS FATHER, FOR TALKING TO US AND GETTING THE WORD OUT FOR PARENTS TO TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN IN CASE OF A DIPHENHYDRAMINE OVERDOSE, EXPERTS URGE YOU TO CALL THE POISON CONTROL HELPLINE. THERE’S A NUMBER
Oklahoma father speaks out after daughter hospitalized from ‘Benadryl challenge’
An Oklahoma father is urging parents to be aware of online trends after his 15-year-old daughter was hospitalized and lost brain function due to the “Benadryl challenge.”
Updated: 10:19 PM CDT Jun 12, 2026
A viral online trend called the “Benadryl challenge” has left an Oklahoma family heartbroken after their 15-year-old daughter was hospitalized in Enid. The challenge, which involves taking excessive doses of diphenhydramine, has caught the attention of the Food and Drug Administration. The girl’s father, Richard Presson, said he learned about her participation in the challenge from one of her friends. “I was told by one of my daughter’s friends that her and my daughter have both been doing this challenge,” Presson said.He described the devastating impact on his daughter and family. “My daughter is now in ICU. She’s been here for five days. It’s heartbreaking, you know, to watch your loved one go through this. She was perfectly fine Sunday. Within 24 hours, she’s tried this, and she’s laying lifeless,” he said. Presson shared that his daughter has tragically lost all brain function and is being kept alive by a ventilator. “She’s sadly lost all of her brain functions. And I think helping her right now is a ventilator,” he said. He urged other parents to stay vigilant about online trends and educate themselves about their potential dangers. “Anybody else that has children? I just highly advise them to watch out, you know, for new trending challenges and, you know, look for signs of it. Look them up, see what they mean. And if someone would have spoke sooner and made us aware, this could have saved countless lives for other children’s. At least my daughter’s life. I want to make other people aware,” Presson said. >> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
ENID, Okla. —
A viral online trend called the “Benadryl challenge” has left an Oklahoma family heartbroken after their 15-year-old daughter was hospitalized in Enid. The challenge, which involves taking excessive doses of diphenhydramine, has caught the attention of the Food and Drug Administration.
The girl’s father, Richard Presson, said he learned about her participation in the challenge from one of her friends.
“I was told by one of my daughter’s friends that her and my daughter have both been doing this challenge,” Presson said.
He described the devastating impact on his daughter and family.
“My daughter is now in ICU. She’s been here for five days. It’s heartbreaking, you know, to watch your loved one go through this. She was perfectly fine Sunday. Within 24 hours, she’s tried this, and she’s laying lifeless,” he said.
Presson shared that his daughter has tragically lost all brain function and is being kept alive by a ventilator.
“She’s sadly lost all of her brain functions. And I think helping her right now is a ventilator,” he said.
He urged other parents to stay vigilant about online trends and educate themselves about their potential dangers.
“Anybody else that has children? I just highly advise them to watch out, you know, for new trending challenges and, you know, look for signs of it. Look them up, see what they mean. And if someone would have spoke sooner and made us aware, this could have saved countless lives for other children’s. At least my daughter’s life. I want to make other people aware,” Presson said.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter